Hey, Folks...
Has anyone looked at the Simply Light Designs site lately?? A while back I was on another thread, whining about wishing Jared would develop an attached-bugnet hammock so I could save a gram or two in my pack (it's all about me.). Since I am a 'simple and light is better than complex and heavy' sort of hiker hanger, I've used an 11-ft, 18 oz Streamliner DL with a CCF pad for awhile, and it has been a great tool and has outperformed everything else I've tried for my style of hammock-camping (I'm 6', 190 lb). It holds my pad very well, easy setup, light, great visibility, very stable, and I don't have to worry about head ends, foot ends, or any of that stuff. I just hang my suspension ditty bag from the ridge line and I'm golden.
Anyway, as great as my Streamliner and DIY Fronkey-style bugnet work together, I have been thinking how much I'd like a rig with an integrated bugnet for bug season (which, here in NC, can be a long season) - quicker setup, not having to thread any suspensions thru those little bugnet ends, etc. In fact, I have been looking at attached bugnet hammocks and there are some nice ones out there, albeit a little pricey and sometimes a little heavy...
Well anyway, SLD now has Streamliners and Tree Runners with Built-In Bugnets!!. I guess I was a little too loud in my post, because Jared gave me a chance to try one out (the 'Streamliner Trail Lair') and it is an extremely nice hammock! It still has the cat-cut design, so it still does all the stuff his regular Streamliner does (flatter lay, calf ridge relief, visibility, light weight). The one I tried has a zipper that stays attached to the hammock, but zips or unzips all the way around the hammock body and stows in a mesh sack at one end of the hammock. The net rests on the ridgeline like many others, but what's different about this one is the netting does't sag and drape all over you while you're in bed, and it still doesn't need any guy outs to keep it off of you. My understanding is that you can also get one that only zips on one side if that's what you want.
So the one I tried out only weighed about 22 oz fully packed, dbl-layer (w/whoopie suspension in bishop bag), which I love since I - ahem - tend to count a few grams here and there and this saves me about 5 oz ...... It doesn't have things like foot boxes, carbon bugnet poles, satellite hookups, etc, that some others have, and for that I am grateful (for me it's a hammock, not a timeshare). Extremely comfortable, easy setup, DL (I use a ccf pad), great visibility from inside, and Jared's notorious high-quality attention to detail. When I get mine, I may do a mod to use the WB triangular cinches... I have 'em on my Streamliner and they are really easy (and I'm lazy), but i haven't really decided yet. I like the whoopies as well.
In my opinion, this hammock is perfect for a lightweight or ul hiker or backpacker, or would be great for a base camper who is weight-conscious or likes to keep their kit simple, clean, and efficient. Also, looks like his price (at least the off-shelf published price) is pretty aggressive. I think my search for a high-quality, decently-priced bugnet hammock is over.
Okay I'll stop the rant now. Check out the SLD site gallery.
...sorry.
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